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    South Mountain Park

    4.6 (363 reviews)

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    Map outside of Visitors Center. Nov, 2025.
    Laura S.

    South Mountain Park, Phoenix. Nov, 2025. My husband and I visited this park, reaching the Visitor Center (VC) just after 3 pm on a Friday afternoon. What's significant about that fact is that the VC has limited hours, being open only Thurs-Sun, 9 am-3 pm (closed on Mon-Wed). Our original plan was to go the VC to pick up some maps to get a lay of the land, and to use the restroom after having been touring around Phoenix. As we and another gentleman reached the door, we found that a worker had just locked it for the day. BUT, he noticed us, unlocked it, and let us in! How very kind! Parking/entrance hours are longer at 5 am to 7 pm, whereas trail hours are 5 am to 11 pm. Admission is free. South Mountain Park and Preserve is extensive, and at more than 16 thousand acres is one of the largest municipally managed parks in the nation. Consisting of three mountain ranges, the park boosts more than 100 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. Another fun fact? The Park and Preserve celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024, with the City of Phoenix having purchased the park's first 13 thousand acres in 1924. It was already mid-afternoon, so we needed to select our activities carefully. *We drove up the park's scenic, gradually climbing 5.5-mile road to the DOBBINS LOOKOUT. The drive itself, with a road shared by motor vehicles, bikers, and hikers, is an adventure, with many blind corners, narrow sections, and some treacherous drop-offs. It takes about 25-30 minutes to reach the lookout, which at 2,330 feet, is the highest point in the park that is available to the public. (Note that you can also reach the lookout by trail). The lookout features historic Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) masonry structures, shade, benches, and panoramic 360-degree views of the metropolitan area, Camelback Mountain, and the desert. See my separate review of Dobbins Lookout on Yelp. *After driving back down the mountain, we returned to the parking lot near the VC, and decided to do a short walk (1-mile loop) on the trails there. There are two trails there that are designed to be accessible to as many people as possible. Only walking is allowed; no bikes or horses. The JUDITH TUNELL TRAIL is a 6-foot wide accessible loop trail that is just under 1/2-mile long, and has shade ramadas, a chilled drinking fountain, and benches. We extended thus by adding the JUDITH TUNELL CHALLENGE TRAIL, again a 6-foot wide paved trail (+ 1/2-mile) that offers a slightly more challenging slope (8.5% for a short distance). There were some late afternoon joggers on the trails, and a guides equestrian ride on the adjacent Las Lomitas Trail. It started to get dark so we headed back to the hotel, with a promise that we would return to do some more serious hikes and to check out the environmental exhibits in the recently renovated VC.

    Horse back riding
    Suzette M.

    The views. The recreation. The historical relevance. All things reasons to up the hill. Highly recommended.

    Stunning views on the Ridgeline Trail
    Natasha A.

    The Ridgeline Trail at South Mountain Park has incredible views at multiple points on the trail! You can start from the parking lot. The Javelina Trail is a lower level trail good for biking, and can also be started from the parking lot. We went on New Year's Day and the weather was perfect.

    Roni K.

    It was a beautiful day with clear skies all around . We drove to each of the lookouts. All of the areas had great views. The Dobbins outlook was the busiest and had some litter around. I was surprised to see there was no charge to enter. It is a fun drive with lots of hairpin turns. As d of course a significant change in elevation.

    Marker
    Dane B.

    From nature to history, South Mountain Park has a story. South Mountain Park is an open space that spans 16,500 acres of scenic beauty. We only explored one side of the park, but there is plenty more to discover with many other trails and sights displaying its rich history and beautiful landscapes. One of the first things that welcomes you is a boulder with an inscribed petroglyph, telling much about the old inhabitants who roamed this place. The park was created in June 1924 to protect the natural and cultural heritage of this area. A historical building, serving as a museum and administrative office, is located at the original park entrance. This was the first permanent structure constructed in the park and one of many built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. It is one of the few remaining buildings in South Mountain Park and serves as a reminder of those who created and preserved this beautiful park for future generations. For anyone interested in history and natural wonders, South Mountain Park is a place you should never miss.

    Tracy S.

    hike and bike to your hearts desire! go in the winter or early! Most trails are popular!

    View from the Los Lomitas trail
    Karen W.

    Had a great time hiking with my boba sistah and little one at South Mountain. We hiked the Las Lomitos trail and we got to take in some beautiful views of the mountains while we were here. It's a fairly easy trail to go on, and it's also a trail that people ride their horses on which means you'll be dodging quite a bit of horse droppings on your hike. There was also a lot of smaller animal scat on the ground, maybe from a careless dog owner or a coyote? Parking was plentiful and easy in the nearby lots. I'd love to go back and hike some more trails here. P.S. fun fact, los lomitas means little hill!

    Last time we were up here it was 6 years ago.... still beautiful.
    Sharon K.

    Beautiful and so relaxing. Scary drive to top but worth it. We first visited 6 years ago into pictures. It's still just as beautiful and peaceful. I must see if you're in Phoenix.

    Daniel W.

    Why don't mountains ever get lost when hiking? Because they always "peak" at the map before they go! Always a go-to mountain that has plenty of flats, and if you decide, you can get a little more adventurous and hit up the vertical climbs. Lots of places to stop and rest, especially at the "red bench," which is about half way point in my opinion. There's also the Pima Wash trail wish it like walking on a sandy beach like David Hassleoff, if you feel like being in a baywatch scene. Good for dogs, and you might get lucky with a good parking spot. Wish they had more parking options.

    Robyn F.

    Nice & scenic w/ beautiful views. There's a covered seating area. As well as restrooms at the bottom & top of the mountain. Very winding & narrow road, a bit scary. The drive up was worth the experience.

    Eric G.

    I have hiked here 4 times and it was different each time because there are so many trails! You can choose easy, medium, or difficult (on trail map app) so it's really for anyone. As a person from Michigan, it's a great place to hike locally if you have an "itch" to hike somewhere. Plus it's close to town! Since it's so close, it gets busy around 8-9am on the weekends, so you may have to park on the side road coming in.

    Trail marker
    Jessica S.

    The only thing I did not like was the long sidewalk like concrete to the mountain, on the way out it seemed as if it was going to Be forever until we got back to the car however the rest was amazing. A good mixture of climbing to the building structure what I would say was have the hike and we kept going up the road to the next trail which is where you got to see all of the rolling hills and mountains, absolutely beautiful views of the city and downtown. A good steady hike and not much climbing compared to camelback. We saw people walk, run and bike it, the bikers were pretty cool to watch. This is a great trail to hit for sunrise or sunset.

    Kathleen F.

    Very beautiful park. My friend took me here because she's been going here for years and wanted me to see the beauty of the mountain at sun set. Upon arriving and driving up the mountain, it was fun. Could have done without the car tail gating us even though we were going the speed limit (and slightly above) We arrived to the top of the mountain and.... No parking. All the spots were filled by tourists. Worst of all were the motorcycles parked IN CAR SPOTS WHEN THERE WERE TONS OF MOTORCYCLE SPOTS OPEN!!! So infuriating. Trying to go back down the mountain to take pictures on the side of the road was tricky... people not letting you leave the parking lot is an issue. We ended up parking on fr right side and we're able to see the sunset and get some cool pictures but dang... they really need to work on the structure on top the mountain to ensure people don't hog spots

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    2 years ago

    This place is amazing and love to hike. They have some of the best views of our city. Let's go baby.

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    Page 1 of 10

    Ask the Community - South Mountain Park

    Is this a stroller friendly trail?

    Sorry--absolutely not.

    Is this a good location for Biking?

    Road cycling or Mountain? It's a popular location among road cyclists as the climb to the towers is a popular route. I've done it a few times, but it's best to wait until Silent Sundays when they close the road to vehicles. It's too dangerous,… Read more

    Can you drive up there to view the sunset during the week?

    Yes of course

    Can you drive up after 7pm?

    nope, you can enter up till 7pm, but after that you cannot enter. If you are in before 7 you can stay in until 11pm.

    Open on saturdays?

    Yes 5 am-7pm

    Are the wildflowers in bloom right now (March) as they are in the rest of the Phoenix area?

    I don't why there wouldn't as they are rather common there.

    I was warned there are a lot of coyotes out this time of year on South Mountain and to reconsider taking my dog for a hike up there. Is this something I should be concerned about?

    I have been walking my dogs on the mountain for the last 10 years with zero issues... As long as you keep them on leash you won't have to worry about coyotes ambushing a human... Ever

    View All 8 Questions

    Review Highlights - South Mountain Park

    We first stopped at Dobbins lookout which looks over the north side of the mountain and towards downtown Phoenix.

    Mentioned in 15 reviews

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